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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191033">Dawn Climbers</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherBlonde/pseuds/JustAnotherBlonde'>JustAnotherBlonde</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Lifetime of Moments [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Art School, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, Rock Climbing, university club</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 06:08:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,466</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26191033</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherBlonde/pseuds/JustAnotherBlonde</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p> Meet the Dawn Climbers, the art department's answer to the university's elitist, sciences-dominated climbing club. </p>
</div>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Deidara/Sasori (Naruto)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Lifetime of Moments [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878778</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dawn Climbers</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i had so much fun figuring out AU personas for all the Akatsuki characters. i always thought Deidara and Tobi had a hilarious dynamic, so i've gone in a <em> slightly</em> different direction with my Tobi-is-Madara-is-Obito thing... originally he was just going to be goofy but there have been interesting developments in later stories! and to establish which traits are present in this AU and which aren't, i may have restated some "obvious" facts. i hope you don't mind! please enjoy and let me know your thoughts :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Deidara-senpai, come on! They’ll leave without us!” Tobi called from the dormitory door.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobi Uchiha, Deidara’s roommate, was, in Deidara’s opinion, the most annoying eighteen-year-old to occupy space on the surface of this planet, but he was worth keeping around for a handful of reasons. For one, he knew plenty of gossip about the university and the art department—including exam hacks—because of his older cousin Itachi, the painting and digital design teaching assistant. For another, he had introduced Deidara to the art department’s climbing club. After years of army training and exercise, Deidara missed moving his body, but had been loath to join the campus gym. Climbing provided the perfect outlet for all of his pent up energy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on!” Deidara called from under his bed. “I can’t find my other shoe, mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I hope it wasn’t in that enormous duffel bag you took out last week and never brought back…” Tobi cajoled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a thump followed by an “ow” as Deidara crawled out from under the bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” He sat up and stared at Tobi, who stood halfway out the door wearing a large rucksack on his back with a pair of climbing shoes and a harness dangling from it. Tobi’s short sable hair was pointing every which way despite the headband he wore across his forehead. His black t-shirt was far too large for him, gaping at the arms, and his brown cargo shorts hung past his knees. <em>Straight men and their clothes</em>, Deidara thought with a mental sigh.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s like you’re secretly moving out, Deidara-senpai,” Tobi replied. “What was in the bag? Where did you take it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara sighed aloud. “It’s none of your business, Tobi. And stop calling me senpai, mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The duffel bag was an extended overnight bag and it was currently at the foot of Sasori’s bed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I feel like I never see you anymore…” Tobi said in a mock-wistful voice.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re about to spend all weekend with me if I could find my damned shoe! Help me look! Mm.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s on your desk,” Tobi said, scratching his nose.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What! You’ve known this whole time?! Nn!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobi laughed. “No, I’ve just got good eyes. Spotted it just now.” He turned and walked out into the hall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Gah!” Deidara threw up his hands in exasperation. He snatched the shoe, stuffed it into his duffel bag and stormed after Tobi.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did you lock the door?” Tobi called back down the hall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>I’m going to kill him</em>, Deidara thought as he tugged on the handle. <em>Just a little accident on the crag, and ‘whoops,’ Tobi’s stuck in a hole… mn</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara caught up with him at the stairwell. The climbing club always left for weekend trips from the gear store in the university sports complex, a ten-minute walk from their dormitory.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, where do you sleep when you don’t come back to the dorm, Deidara-senpai?” Tobi probed as they passed outside into the warm spring evening. “On the street? You don’t look like you’ve been on a month-long bender though, so I don’t think that’s it… Wait! I know: you’ve got a girlfriend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tobi, we’ve been sharing a room since September. Please tell me what evidence you have that I am into girls, mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, right. A boyfriend then.” Deidara wasn’t expecting himself to blush. He hadn’t really thought about how he would tell Tobi—or any of the other climbers—that he was dating Sasori. They all knew him: he was a member of the club, although he hadn’t been on a trip in years.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobi laughed when he saw Deidara’s expression.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh?” Tobi was very amused. “Really? Who?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara’s blush deepened. He placed his hands on his hot cheeks. <em>Gah</em>…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>They thankfully arrived at the gear store before Tobi managed to pry Sasori’s name from Deidara’s lips. Itachi stood beside the 12-seater van in a T-shirt and hiking trousers, arms folded. His long black hair was pulled into a ponytail, a few strands hanging in front of his face. Konan and her boyfriend Yahiko, an orange-haired graduate of the art department with facial piercings, were loading rope and cooking supplies into the back of the van. Kisame, who Deidara always thought somehow resembled a shark with his spiked hair, strange teeth and small eyes, was already at the wheel, fiddling with the radio and looking bored. He was wearing his club hoodie: the black one with red clouds and club name across the back.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I thought we were going to have to leave without you two,” Itachi said with a frown.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Deidara-senpai couldn’t find his shoe,” Tobi tattled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara raised his arm high, as if to strike him, prompting Tobi to dance out of arms’-reach, grinning.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The van door slid open and Hidan poked his tattooed face out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Get in, assholes,” he shouted with a grin. “The gang’s all here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara froze. Sasori was in the van, in the center of the back row next to Nagato, the redheaded owner of Pain Studio. Sasori grinned sheepishly at Deidara, who climbed up and sat next to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What the hell…? Mn,” he whispered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasori shrugged. “I haven’t been on a trip in a while. But to be honest, you convinced me to come when you said that Kisame was cooking this weekend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I convinced…” Deidara shook his head. “I barely mentioned it! Or I guess, I thought you weren’t listening. Weren’t you working on a new piece? Mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I finished it…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nagato turned. “You’ve finished a new piece?” he asked. His eyes were completely concealed beneath his red fringe. “You’ll have to do another exhibition sometime. I haven’t seen your work since I graduated. To be honest, I’ve hardly seen you since I graduated.” He smiled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re busy with your studio,” Sasori replied. “I never thought that you’d take everything you learned from Professor Sage and end up starting a tattoo and piercing business…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nagato laughed. “It puts more food on the table than trying to make a living as an artist,” he replied.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara bristled at this: “No one’s an artist for the money! A true artist is dedicated to his work.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Says the boy living off his parents’ handouts,” Sasori retorted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shooting him a betrayed look, Deidara flushed and had nothing to say in response. <em>Why am I acting like this?</em> he thought to himself. <em>Like a blushing teenager! It’s no big deal that Sasori’s here… Right? Mn.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anyway,” Nagato interjected, “It’s good to see you, Sasori-danna. I’m already looking forward to dinner tonight. You’ve saved us from Kisame’s ‘mystery stew’…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just then, a dark green vintage Buick careened into the car park.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t believe it,” Hidan said, leaning out the door. “The old penny-pincher’s here!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He jumped out of the van to greet Professor Kakuzu, who was hauling a massive rucksack out of the back of his car.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Give me that bag, you sunovabitch,” Hidan grinned. They gripped forearms. “I haven’t seen you in an age! Not since the Jurassic, when you were a young man, ha.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And now I’m having second thoughts about tagging along this weekend, seeing you, Hidan,” Kakuzu growled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Professor Kakuzu had taught sculpture at the art department for the better part of two decades: he had mentored Sasori as a freshman and was now his supervisor, under Professor Sage’s leadership. Deidara enjoyed his classes, although he slept through most of the lectures. Kakuzu turned his shaggy head in the direction of the van. He didn’t look like a university professor with his wild mane of elbow-length brown hair, grizzled features and deep tan: he looked like he would be more at home in the middle of a forest skinning a deer he’d shot himself… with a bow and arrow.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stalked around the back to inspect the gear Yahiko and Konan had loaded and clicked his tongue.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Looks like you’ve spent everything I lent you,” he grumbled. “Yahiko, Nagato—you’re fundraising this month or I’m selling this shit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Notorious for his obsession with money, Professor Kakuzu had been the club’s first sponsor, back when Yahiko and Nagato founded Dawn Climbers as the art department’s answer to the university’s other elitist, sciences-dominated climbing club.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Itachi’s in charge now, Kakuzu-danna,” Nagato replied, turning and kneeling on his seat to address him through the back hatch. He spread his hands. “We aren’t at the university anymore.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kakuzu shook his head. “Ay, I forgot.” He stalked back around to the front of the van, where Itachi was climbing into the passenger seat at the front next to Kisame. “You heard me, Itachi.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Itachi nodded, faintly smiling. “I think we’re ready to go,” he said, looking around at everyone inside the van, eyes following Kakuzu as he climbed into the back section of van and took the front row to himself.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Yahiko slammed the back hatch, walked around to the side door, and settled next to Konan, who was already occupying the second row in front of Deidara, Sasori and Nagato. Hidan and Tobi were in the single seats beside the aisle and everyone’s rucksacks were strewn across the floor. Itachi turned around to look at everyone again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Kakuzu-danna. Sasori-danna. Nagato. Yahiko. Konan. Hidan. Deidara. Tobi. Kisame. And me,” he said. “This might just be the first time every member of Dawn went on a trip together.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“All right!” Tobi exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara grinned and glanced sideways at Sasori. <em>Why do I feel so nervous…?</em> he thought.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Kisame blasted the radio, shifted the van into drive and gunned out of the car park.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>*</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Thirty minutes down the motorway, Tobi loudly declared: “Deidara-senpai has a boyfriend!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>If a hole had opened up all the way to the center of the earth beneath Deidara’s seat at that moment it still wouldn’t have sent him far enough away from the van.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Oh god… Oh… that’s… that’s why I’m nervous. Fuck you, Tobi, mn</em>. Everyone turned to look at Deidara, who felt like his body temperature alone might be enough to melt the hole he so desperately wished would appear.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Um…” He couldn’t move his head. He wanted to look at Sasori but his head wouldn’t move.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What makes you think Deidara has a boyfriend?” Sasori asked in a cool, neutral voice. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara exhaled just a little but still couldn’t turn his head. <em>Sasori will handle this, right?</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Tobi leapt eagerly at this question: “Well, most nights he doesn’t come back to the dorm, and last week he took this huge bag out with him and never brought it back. And he always looks stupidly happy these days.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe he’s a drug dealer,” Hidan suggested. “High on his merchandise.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Hidan… giving zero fucks that three of my teachers are in this van… mn</em>
  <em>…</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe it was explosives,” Yahiko supplemented, “and he didn’t come back because he was working on a piece at the warehouse all night.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Good one, Yahiko. I’ll have to come up with a new piece soon to fit the cover story… mn</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe he’s just staying with a relative,” Konan suggested.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Lame, mn</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Maybe he’s been spending far too much time with Sasori and ought to consider how to utilize that in a way that would be more beneficial to his studies.” Professor Kakuzu was completely deadpan as he said this.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara collapsed forward, covering his face with his hands while the entire van erupted in shouts and cheers. Konan may have squealed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” Kakuzu said over the din. “I’m not wrong!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Your boyfriend’s <em>the Scorpion</em>?” Tobi said, laughing wildly and stomping his feet.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Isn’t that like… <em>illegal? </em>Or doesn’t it matter since he’s not supervising any of your classes this semester?” Konan asked, an expression halfway between concern and joy on her face. “Also I just want to say that it was obvious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasori was laughing. “Really?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>She shrugged. “You’re always coming and going together.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And I think you forget I live in your neighborhood, Sasori-kun,” Kakuzu said, waving his hand. “If you were anyone else your ass would be out on the curb for violation of contract. Consorting with a student like Deidara… In my day it was only the—”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ugh, <em>sensei</em>!” Tobi exclaimed. “No one wants to know!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Did he just use the word ‘consorting’?” Yahiko said.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Seriously though, Professor,” Konan jumped in, “Sasori-danna won’t be in trouble, will he? You’re being awfully relaxed about this…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well, like I said…” Kakuzu began.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>As the others carried on this conversation, Deidara finally turned his head to look at Sasori. He was grinning with an awkward and embarrassed sort of happiness as he listened to Professor Kakuzu talk his way around Konan’s question. Deidara’s breath caught in his chest.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ha…” Deidara exhaled. <em>It seems… okay… mn</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I mean, as long as you stay off Sage’s radar there’s no harm in it,” Kakuzu was explaining. “It’s not like anyone is keeping tabs on these things…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The conversation shifted to Kakuzu’s love life, a foray into the unknown—and for most everyone in the van, the undesired—spearheaded by Hidan. Kakuzu responded by mocking Hidan for living with a notoriously controlling girlfriend.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Taking advantage of this distraction, Sasori finally turned to Deidara and said in a low voice: “That could have been worse…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It could have been better! Mn,” Deidara shot back, eye wide. “What the hell!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was like ripping off a bandage, Deidara,” he said, grinning. He reached across himself to pinch Deidara’s jacket cuff between thumb and forefinger. “I figured if I came on a trip somebody was bound to notice or bring it up. I was hoping for more of a subtle reveal over the weekend, but… Tobi’s… well, Tobi’s just Tobi! You ought to thank him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m <em>not</em> thanking him, mn,” Deidara pouted. He turned his head to look out the window.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasori’s eyebrows pinched together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you mad I came?” He took his hand away.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara looked back at him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, of course not! Mn,” Deidara replied. He reached for the material of Sasori’s long sleeve: one of those stretchy thermal tops with the holes to stick your thumbs through. He wore it beneath a faded Dawn Climbers club t-shirt. The material was soft and flexible; Deidara massaged it absentmindedly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m worried that you’re going to get in trouble… mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasori pursed his lips. “It didn’t even cross my mind that Kakuzu-danna might turn up…” He forced a smile. “But I’m sure it’s fine!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This is all Tobi’s fault,” Deidara grumbled. “Mn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hm…” Sasori twisted his mouth.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Then he looked up at Deidara, a wicked gleam in his eyes: “Let’s think of some way to get him back over the weekend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Deidara’s eye lit up. “Yes! Excellent idea, mn. I happen to have packed some special clay… Was planning to create some ‘art in the wild’ but now perhaps my precious is destined for greater things…”</p>
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